Daego Insertions
The Daego Insertions, sometimes referred to as The Second Battle of Daego, was a series of searches for the Forerunner object known as the Casket on the Covenant-occupied world of Daego. Commenced by Captain James Croft and supervised by Admiral Eric Baker, the insertions were a complete failure, leading to a large loss of life which was widely considered to be in vain. Background After their first encounter with the Casket on Crystal, the UNSC organized a search party, based in the frigate, ''Sword of Giants'', in an attempt to find other existing artifacts of the same likeness. The Office of Naval Intelligence sent out multiple probes and located twenty-five possible locations in which another Casket may reside. The third location on this list, was the recently lost planet of Daego. The planet's atmosphere had collapsed due to constant Covenant bombardments, which had subsequently caused multiple reactor meltdowns across the globe. This location was chosen as the first zone the party should search due to its relatively short distance from their previous location, as well as the report that Steven Hartley, a relative of party-member Brian Hartley, may still be alive on the planet. Operation Prelude Once arriving over the planet, twelve Task Forces were formed. Each was divided into teams of two or three and assigned an area to search. Twelve Pelicans were then dispersed on to the planet, one of which, carrying Task Force Lima, was shot down by Anti-Aircraft turrets before it reached the ground. Alpha's Mission Task Force Alpha was assigned to searching the remnants of Richter Base, which was now little more than a volcanic crater. Using mountain-climbing equipment, the team rappelled down into the massive hole. Although they did not find the Casket, they did encounter something of almost equal worth. A fuel rod bolt from a Banshee had failed to detonate and was recovered by the team. It was delivered to ONI two years later, where it was reverse-engineered, eventually leading to advancements in the LAU-65D Missile Pod design. Opening Skirmishes The first contact of the battle was made when a Shade Turret Emplacement fired on Task Force Bravo's Pelican. From there Bravo's Team Two, consisting of Staff Sergeant Ashley Drago, Lance Corporal Garth Chyenka, and Private First Class Seamus Greco engaged the fortification. Seamus was injured by a bolt from a Plasma Repeater, but no other casualties for team two were sustained. Team three, consisting of Ensign Peter Ulan and First Lieutenant Brian Hartley, were attacked by a Stealth Elite. The Elite was subsequently killed by Ulan. Team one, consisting of Lieutenant Commander Jameson Locke and Sasuun 'Ghrtamee, was attacked by a Zealot utilizing active camouflage. The Zealot died from loss of circulation and strangulation incurred by Locke. Team four, consisting of Private Valter Blomgren, and Sergeant Matias Chavez were killed soon after being deployed, when the mine they were investigating caved in. Meanwhile, Ashley Drago of Team two was wounded by a Kig-Yar Ranger. Task Force Bravo was later evacuated during the tactical withdrawal. Covenant Counterattacks Even after Task Force Bravo had contact with the primary forces on Daego, other groups met even further resistance. Task Force Golf was attacked by multiple Covenant armored elements. They were not able to destroy the vehicles, and the attackers managed to take out three members of the Task Force. Tactical Withdrawal After realizing that the Task Forces were encountering more Covenant resistance than expected, and having no reports of Casket sightings, Captain Croft decided that all forces were to be withdrawn from the planet. All of the remaining forces were then transported back to the ''Sword of Giants'', and intended to be sent back to Earth. Space Battle After only a few hours of travelling, the ''Sword of Giants'' was pursued by an SDV-Class Corvette commanded by Shipmaster Retaz 'Baketamee. A battle ensued, which cost the Covenant forces several space fighters, and the UNSC multiple crew members and passengers, including Lieutenant Bajeet Apte, the only Officer to be killed in the battle. In the later stages of the battle, the Sword of Giants fired its Shiva-class Nuclear Missile before entering slipspace, successfully escaping the Corvette. Aftermath The mission was widely considered a failure. Numerous soldiers were killed for, what many considered to be, no reason at all. There were some successes and advancements that came out of this failure, however. Steven Hartley, the aforementioned missing ODST, was found to be alive and returned to Earth, and multiple samples of Covenant technology were brought to ONI and reverse-engineered. Timeline January 2, 2551 *'0921 Hours:' The Task Forces are organized and loaded into Pelicans. The Dropships take off, and leave the ''Sword of Giants''. Covenant Anti-Air batteries fire on the Pelicans. *'1030 Hours:' Task Force Lima is hit by Anti-Air emplacements, leaving no survivors. *'1145 Hours:' First Contact is made by Task Force Bravo. The teams find no sign of the Casket. *'1302 Hours:' A Covenant armored group attacks Task Force Golf, killing numerous members. *'1502 Hours:' Brian Hartley finds his lost relative Steven Hartley. *'1600 Hours:' Captain James Croft orders a tactical withdrawal. *'1656 Hours:' All surviving members are returned to the ''Sword of Giants''. *'1720 Hours:' An SDV-Class Corvette pursues the frigate and begins engaging. *'1734 Hours:' The Corvette sends out a squadron of Seraphs and Banshees, which fire on the frigate, killing a few crew members inside. *'1750 Hours:' The Corvette fires its pulse laser turret, injuring many crew members and passengers on board the Sword of Giants, including Lieutenant Bajeet Apte. *'1762 Hours:' The Sword of Giants enters slipspace. *'2300 Hours:' The frigate returns to Earth. January 3, 2551 *'0700 Hours:' A funeral is held for the casualties of the battle. *'1210 Hours:' Lieutenant Bajeet Apte dies in a coma. *'1600 Hours:' Task Force Lima is officially disavowed.